- Satish Golcha appointed as 26th Delhi Police Commissioner. He is a 1992-batch AGMUT cadre officer
- Golcha led law and order during 2020 northeast Delhi riots as Special Commissioner
- Golcha previously served as DG of Arunachal Pradesh Police and Director General of Tihar Jails
Senior IPS officer Satish Golcha was appointed the 26th Commissioner of Delhi Police on Thursday, succeeding SBK Singh, who held the post for just 21 days.
The appointment comes day after an attack on Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta during a public hearing at her Civil Lines office on Wednesday. The officials, however, said that the posting had nothing to do with the attack.
The Ministry of Home Affairs issued the order, officially naming Golcha, a 1992-batch officer from the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre, to the top police post.
Golcha, who has a tenure till April 2027, is known for his no-nonsense approach and his decisive leadership during the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, where he served as the Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order).
Golcha's predecessor, SBK Singh, a 1988-batch officer, had what is likely the shortest tenure as Delhi Police chief, having taken over on August 1 following the retirement of Sanjay Arora.
Singh's brief time in office was marked by several critical law and order incidents, including the recent assault on Gupta and the chain-snatching of a Lok Sabha MP in the high-security Chanakyapuri area on August 4.
Golcha, who was serving as the Director General of Tihar, Mandoli, and Rohini jails before his new assignment, brings a wealth of experience to the role.
He has held key positions, including Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) and head of the Delhi Police Crime Branch. From February 2022 to June 2023, he also served as the Director General of Police (DGP) of Arunachal Pradesh.
Beyond his roles in Delhi Police, Golcha is also lauded for his work during his tenure with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), where he investigated high-profile cases like the Ruchika molestation case, the Rizwanur Rahman murder case, and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
He is particularly credited with dismantling a false narrative in the 2009 Shopian rape case in South Kashmir, which was later found out to be a conspiracy orchestrated by Pakistan's ISI.
Meanwhile, Singh, a veteran of over 36 years, has a distinguished record, having investigated major cases such as the Uphaar Fire Tragedy and the Ponty Chaddha murder case. He also led police forces in two northeastern states, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh. He is scheduled to retire in February 2026.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
